17 July 2024:
The German Federal Government will support long-duration energy storage (LDES) of 500 MW under its Power Plant Safety Act. The Act, coordinated with the European Commission, is part of Germany’s economic growth package and aims to:
- Enhance energy resilience
- Accelerate decarbonisation
- Support the clean energy transition
- Ensure supply security and grid stability
Precisely, next to the 500 MW LDES that will be supported under the mechanism, 5 GW of new H2-ready gas power plants, 2 GW of modernisations for hydrogen, and 5 GW of additional gas plants will be deployed, mainly in southern Germany, to ensure energy security.
The Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Robert Habeck stated: “In this way, we are making the electricity system fit for a high proportion of renewable energies and also providing additional security for times when there is little wind and sun.”
Earlier this year, it was suspected that the Act would undermine decarbonisation efforts by focusing on the mere build-up of new gas power plants. However, the inclusion of LDES in the mechanism sends the correct message and is crucial for non-fossil flexibility solutions.
The first round of tenders for LDES is expected at the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025.
The full press release is available under this link.
